Politics, Religion & SocietyTopics pertaining to politics, religion, philosophy, and social issues. Not for the faint of heart. Also, do not post while drunk, suffering from food poisoning, or while on a low carb diet. You have been warned.

If this is true (and it seems to be), it also means that Dep AG Rosenstein must recuse himself from overseeing Mueller's investigation. That would pass the oversight down to the #3 person in the DOJ - Rachel Brand, "Associate Attorney General".

If this is true (and it seems to be), it also means that Dep AG Rosenstein must recuse himself from overseeing Mueller's investigation. That would pass the oversight down to the #3 person in the DOJ - Rachel Brand, "Associate Attorney General".

Why do you say that? Rosenstein was quite emphatic he wouldn't fire Mueller unless there was evidence of wrongdoing of which he saw none. As far as I know, the only thing he 'oversees' is the ability to fire Mueller, not to look over his shoulder.

Why do you say that? Rosenstein was quite emphatic he wouldn't fire Mueller unless there was evidence of wrongdoing of which he saw none.

You don't really believe that, do you? I don't, not for a second. I think, if Trump called him and said "write me a report explaining why Mueller should be fired", the way Trump did with Comey, Rosenstein would do the exact same thing - comply.

You don't really believe that, do you? I don't, not for a second. I think, if Trump called him and said "write me a report explaining why Mueller should be fired", the way Trump did with Comey, Rosenstein would do the exact same thing - comply.

Maybe I'm gullible but I think Rosenstein wouldn't do it. Keep in mind he was the person who appointed Mueller in the first place.

Why do you say that? Rosenstein was quite emphatic he wouldn't fire Mueller unless there was evidence of wrongdoing of which he saw none. As far as I know, the only thing he 'oversees' is the ability to fire Mueller, not to look over his shoulder.

Doesn't matter. This is no longer about firing Mueller. It's about who was part of the hypothetical obstruction of justice (firing Comey) for which Mueller was brought on. Rosenstein wrote the letter to Trump recommending the firing of Comey and that makes him a subject of the investigation.

Once he's identified as a subject, he must recuse himself from any further oversight, and hand the reins over to Rachel Brand. It's that simple.

Doesn't matter. This is no longer about firing Mueller. It's about who was part of the hypothetical obstruction of justice (firing Comey) for which Mueller was brought on. Rosenstein wrote the letter to Trump recommending the firing of Comey and that makes him a subject of the investigation.

Once he's identified as a subject, he must recuse himself from any further oversight, and hand the reins over to Rachel Brand. It's that simple.

What would the law be then regarding Mueller? Rachel Brand would be the only one with authority to fire him? Or he would be out the door along with Rosenstein's recusal?

Yet Rosenstein’s role raises questions about potential conflicts of interest, experts say, particularly if Mueller widens the scope of his investigation to include whether the firing of Comey was part of an obstruction-of-justice effort and the deputy attorney general is brought in as a witness.

Rosenstein drafted the memo that laid out the rationale for firing the FBI director, although Trump has since indicated that Comey’s role in investigating potential ties between Trump associates and Russian officials also played a part

This whole thing is starting to move very fast. If Rosenstein is named as a person of interest in the investigation, I don't see how there's any choice BUT for him to recuse himself and let Brand take over.

__________________"Separated lovers cheat absence by a thousand fancies which have their own reality. They are prevented from seeing one another and they cannot write; nevertheless they find countless mysterious ways of corresponding, by sending each other the song of birds, the scent of flowers, the laughter of children, the light of the sun, the sighing of the wind, and the gleam of the stars - all the beauties of creation." -- Victor Hugo

Since President Trump won the Republican nomination, the majority of his companies’ real estate sales are to secretive shell companies that obscure the buyers’ identities, a USA TODAY investigation has found.

Over the last 12 months, about 70% of buyers of Trump properties were limited liability companies – corporate entities that allow people to purchase property without revealing all of the owners’ names. That compares with about 4% of buyers in the two years before.

This seems an appropriate place to paste this little gem. It was a 'headline' in a list of current news stories on the home page of the crappy ISP/email service I still use for my main. Actually not the ISP anymore, but I keep the email account because it is my full, quite common, name (as in, almost every town I've lived in had someone else already in it with my name). No numbers, no characters. Gives me a little "in on the ground floor" cred, not that anyone ever appreciates it. There's even someone in the Cooperstown Hall of Fame with my same exact name, middle name and all! Let me tell you it was a shock to be casually walking through the Hall reading the plaques and see that one. I'd never heard of the guy (so no, it wasn't the Babe or Lou Gehrig or Tinker or Evans or Chance).

Prattle much, Dil? Anyway, the story headline on said home page was:
"Trump Just Might Be Under Investigation After All: Report"

I thought, "AFTER ALL? What, like you are surprised?" FFS

__________________ Quote:
Originally Posted by MaggieI remember once when I tried to interact with one of her buses with my exploding pigeons. The result was less than desirable.

Over the weekend Donald Trump humiliated himself by not remembering to put his hand over his heart during the Easter Egg Roll, and then taking a kid’s hat from him and autographing it before randomly flinging it into the crowd – seemingly forgetting that the kid had just handed it to him. Then he went on Fox News and unwittingly revealed he didn’t remember that Kim Jong-Il gave way to Kim Jong-Un in North Korea six years ago. Then he began repeatedly referring to his close ally Paul Ryan as “Ron” during a Tuesday rally in Ryan’s home state. And this came after Trump bombed Syria and then immediately announced that he had bombed Iraq instead.

__________________

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chuang Tzu

If he who bursts out in anger is not really angry, then his anger is an outburst of nonanger. If he who launches into action is not really acting, then his action is a launching into inaction. He who wishes to be still must calm his energies; he who wishes to be spiritual must compose his mind; he who in his actions wishes to hit the mark must go along with what he cannot help doing. Those things that you cannot help doing - they represent the Way of the sage.

.... (as in, almost every town I've lived in had someone else already in it with my name). No numbers, no characters. Gives me a little "in on the ground floor" cred, not that anyone ever appreciates it. There's even someone in the Cooperstown Hall of Fame with my same exact name, middle name and all! ...

You're Kenesaw Mountain Landis?!

__________________ "I am not more than a lossy Human being, and think that we all are equals..." - Wasted Engineer

Could be but Trump isn't always rational and doesn't always act in his own self interest. He is just floating in his rage and anger.

That much is clear.

Trump thought that being President would include unrivalled, dictatorial powers. Now that he's running (head-first I might add) into checks and balances, it pisses him off. He's such an ignoramus he thinks that whining about it will rally people to his side.

*IF* he's found to have obstructed justice, it won't matter which party Congressional members belong to. If there's no prosecution at that point, the mid-terms are coming soon. And without demonstrating their devotion to country over party, a lot of those Congresspeople are liable to have their tickets canceled. We are about to see the Democratic system tested to its limits. I don't think Donald has any idea what he's up against.